CIS foreign ministers agree on draft statement of heads of state on 35th anniversary of Commonwealth

Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS countries agreed on the draft statement of the heads of state in connection with the 35th anniversary of the Commonwealth. This was stated by CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev following the meeting, BelTA writes.

According to the Secretary-General, at the meeting, the ministers focused on discussing topical issues on the international agenda and interaction within the Commonwealth. It was decided to hold a regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers in April 2027 in Bishkek.

The CIS Executive Committee shared other results of the meeting with BelTA.

Members of the Ministerial Council adopted a draft action plan for 2027-2028 to implement the Strategy for the Development of Cooperation of the CIS Member States in the Field of Tourism for 2021-2030. The document consists of seven sections and provides for measures to improve legal regulation, statistical accounting, quality standards for the provision of tourist services, the development of the security system for tourists and tourist enterprises.

In addition, the plan envisages the development of accommodation and appropriate tourism infrastructure, scientific support and improvement of the education system and staff development. A separate block of measures is devoted to supporting children's, youth and social tourism, expanding the network of interregional routes, promoting tourism products and improving the effectiveness of information support for the industry.

The Foreign Ministry approved the plan of multi-level inter-MFA consultations within the CIS for 2027. The document traditionally includes the topics of coordinating the positions of the Commonwealth states in the UN and interaction with other international organizations. It is planned to hold consultations on foreign policy planning, countering new challenges and threats, arms control and disarmament issues, interaction in the information sphere, as well as on topical issues of multilateral economic diplomacy.

The meeting also adopted an action plan for 2027-2028 to implement the Strategy for International Youth Cooperation of the Commonwealth Member States for 2021-2030. It consists of nine sections and is aimed at coordinating the efforts of state bodies, youth public organizations and sectoral cooperation bodies of the CIS in creating favorable conditions for international youth interaction.

The plan includes activities, projects and programs of international character, involving the participation of youth delegations from other countries. It also reflects the participation of the youth of the Commonwealth countries in significant international events outside the CIS, such as the World Festival of Youth and the International Engineering Championship CASE-IN – Student League.

Members of the Ministerial Council signed an action plan for 2027-2028 to implement the Strategy for the Development of Cooperation of the CIS Member States in the Field of Physical Culture and Sports for 2021-2030. The document combines long-term programmes and specific activities in seven thematic sections. The plan provides for comprehensive support - from the preparation of national Olympic, Paralympic and deflympic teams to the development of mass, school and student sports. Particular attention is paid to updating sports infrastructure, combating doping, training and digitalization of the industry. A separate block is devoted to creating a positive image of physical culture through the media and strengthening the role of sports for the formation of a healthy lifestyle among citizens.

At the meeting, decisions were made to establish a number of basic organizations. For example, the Institute of the Border Guard Service of Belarus received the status of the basic organization for the study of the problems of combating cross-border crime, training and advanced training of specialized specialists of border agencies.

The Foreign Ministers adopted a joint statement of support for practical steps to prevent an arms race in outer space, which states that the Commonwealth countries carry out activities on the exploration and use of outer space in the interests of developing international cooperation and understanding, maintaining international peace and security.

The issue of the International Film Festival of the CIS member states “Commonwealth” was also discussed. Ministers approved the draft regulations on the film festival. The final decision on this issue will be taken at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in December 2026.

In addition, the foreign ministers approved a number of draft documents that will be sent to the supreme bodies of the Commonwealth - the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS. In addition to the above-mentioned statement in connection with the 35th anniversary of the Commonwealth, these are decisions on cooperation in the field of tourism, declaring 2029 the Year of Transport Connectivity of the CIS in the Commonwealth, measures to form a positive image of the CIS and its member states in the information space, amendments to the Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Crimes in the Field of Information Technologies.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko will pay a working visit to Turkmenistan on October 8 and 9, where he will take part in a meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council. The leaders of the countries will discuss cooperation within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which turns 35 this year. In his speech at the meeting, Alexander Lukashenko will express the position of the Belarusian side on topical topics of the CIS activities, as well as on the potential and future prospects of this international association.

The agenda of the meeting includes more than a dozen and a half issues. They include social development and quality of life, transport connectivity of the CIS, joint work in the information space, cooperation in law enforcement, preservation of historical memory.